The Calgary Sun

SIGN OF GOOD BUSINESS

CREATIVE MARKETING HELPS REALTOR STAND OUT Wednesday, June 28, 2006

BY YVETTE PUTTER, CALGARY SUN

In a real estate market with thousands of realtors jumping at the chance to sell sell sell, standing out from the crowd can be a realtor's golden ticket.

Fernando Aramburu is eager to do just that through some creative marketing tools.

"My father was very innovative," says Aramburu, a Royal LePage agent.

"I've learned from him that if I want success, I have to be different -- I have to think out of the box."

First, he wanted to find a way to make For Sale signs more visible.

"I was driving by one of my houses at night and I could hardly see the sign, and I thought, 'this is not working,' " Aramburu says.

Taking cues from a solar-powered sign he saw at a National Association Realtors trade show in San Francisco, Aramburu decided to create custom signs for the Canadian elements.

"It gets dark by five o'clock and househunters drive around at night looking and can't see the signs, so I made signs that reflect at night just like road signs," he says.

These Reflections are made in the U.S. with Aramburu investing about $1,500 of his own money.

"You have to invest to be different," he says. "It's a step-by-step process."

Another unique tool is Broadcasting House, a personal radio transmitter placed in your house allowing drive-by househunters to listen to a five-minute recording of the details pertaining to it.

The continuous broadcast is receivable for about two blocks and owners are able to show the home's personality by recording the message themselves.

"In the early stages, this information is the most important," Aramburu says. "You can assure the client this is the right house for them."

Aramburu is the only Calgary realtor to introduce these tools, but is lending it to some associates who have shown interest in it.

But not all Calgary realtors believe the need for tools such as reflection signs exist.

"To be honest, I don't think it will have that much impact," says Paul Sihoto, an agent for ReMax House of Real Estate.

Calls from clients later at night are rare, says Sihoto, but a bit of individuality and innovation can go a long way.

"It will be noticed," Sihoto says.

Illustration:

photo by Robin Kuniski, Calgary Sun

SALES TECHNIQUES ... Fernando Aramburu stands by one of his custom For Sale signs. This sign allows househunters who are driving by to listen to a five-minute recording about the house. He also has signs that reflect at night, perfect for use in the winter.